Poll

Farm

Soil moisture levels remained slightly above normal for the middle of June in Illinois, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) program manager at the Prairie Research Institute, Illinois State Water Survey at the University of Illinois.

With corn planting nearing completion, many farmers were able to move their focus to soybean planting, causing a noticeable 28 percent increase in soybeans planted this week.
Due to frequent showers in some parts of the state, some farmers were scrambling to get hay cut and baled. Precipitation averaged 0.98 inches across the state, right in line with normal.
Temperatures across the state averaged 72.8 degrees for the week, 1.0 degree above normal.
There were 4.90 days suitable for fieldwork last week.

Last weekend's rains put a halt to fieldwork in most of Fayette County.

Before those showers came, area farmers had virtually completed their corn planting, and were well into soybean planting. Statewide, 90 percent of the beans are in the ground, and 67 percent have emerged. The rig pictured above sits near a field just north of Vandalia – just waiting for the soil to dry.

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack recently reminded farmers and ranchers that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is conducting a four-week Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) general signup period that will end on June 14.

Midwestern soybean farmers looking for a high-yield variety with built-in disease resistance will soon have a new option – Saluki 4313, developed at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
Stella K. Kantartzi, associate professor in the Department of Plant, Soil and Agricultural Systems and principal investigator in the Plant Breeding and Genetics Lab, said the SIU Soybean Germplam and Variety Committee recently approved the variety’s release.

Heavy rains fell across most of the state last week, hindering planting progress and affecting crop conditions.
Statewide, total precipitation averaged 3.70 inches, with some regions receiving close to 4.5 inches. With excessive rains causing flooding across the state, many fields are likely to require replanting.
Localized severe weather caused damage to buildings and trees in various locations, while dumping several inches of rain.
Temperatures across the state averaged 69 degrees for the week, 1.7 degrees above normal.

With this year’s prolonged planting season keeping the county’s farmers traveling to and from their fields, the Fayette County Farm Bureau and other organizations are reminding motorists of the dangers of sharing the roads with oversized agricultural equipment.

The 17th edition of "Farm Estate and Business Planning" by Dr. Neil Harl is now available.
This 471-page, soft-cover book is a guide for farmers and ranchers who want to make the most of the state and federal income and estate tax laws to allow the least expensive and most efficient transfer of their estates to their children and heirs.